At Thistle Port Dickson, repeat guest Hanna Hussein chills out at the refurbished spa and relaxes by the beach

IT has been a long busy week and all I need is a getaway from the city, just relaxing by the beach and perhaps a little bit of pampering in a five-star resort.

Well, since I only have a short weekend, Port Dickson in Negri Sembilan is my best shot. Plus, I won’t need to waste time on the road as it is just an hour from Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks to AirAsiaGo Mobile App, I am able to do a quick last-minute booking with just one click and I am lucky that Thistle, one of Port Dickson’s five star choices, is on the list. So, here I am with my husband, arriving at this beautiful resort situated on a gorgeous stretch of Port Dickson’s finest beach, Teluk Kemang.

Well, this is not my first time at Thistle Port Dickson. I stayed here a few years back before I was married, and I remember it as really enjoyable. This trip will relive the memory, but this time, I am bringing my husband!

COASTAL PANORAMA

My husband and I arrive quite late as we both headed out from our workplace. We are tired and all we can think of is to call it a night.

The clock shows 9pm when we finally reach the resort. We immediately check into the Deluxe Sea Facing King Room. As my husband freshens up, I explore. Our room is spacious, with a simple contemporary design, yet it has a warm ambience.

Its king size bed can fit three.Yep, this is the luxury I am looking comfort!

The room also has a day bed at a corner, a mini bar with coffee- and tea-making facilities, TV, work desk and a balcony. It is already dark outside but I can see the light blue pool area and nearby there’s an outdoor movie showing Monster Inc. Some children and their parents are watching the show. Perhaps this is one of the new activities catering especially for families.

After taking a warm shower, I jump into the bed and within minutes I doze off. Well, the plush mattress, soft pillows and sleek bed linen definitely help! In the morning, I wake up fresh and the first thing I do is go to the balcony with a cup of hot tea and sit on a lazy chair overlooking the peaceful Straits of Malacca. There is a rainbow across the horizon, aah... what a bliss.

PUTERI DEWI PAMPERING

Although there are plenty of activities at Thistle Port Dickson — watersports and such — my main intention is to relax and pamper myself. Of course, going to a spa is a must.

The new spa has a totally different ambience from my last visit. It has a Balinese feel, very warm, very inviting. The treatment menu is also different.

Upon entering the spa, my husband and I are welcomed by two lovely women in black tops and batik sarung. They explain the types of massages available; both of us choose the Balinese Herbal Compress.

We are then ushered to the couple room and change into the batik sarung.

The treatment starts with a foot scrub and continues with a relaxing oil massage. My massage therapist has very strong hands and I like the pressure. It feels like all my stress has been released from my body.

Then, the massage continues with a hot herbal compress which is gently applied along the energy lines of my body. That instantly induces relaxation from within!

By the end of the one-hour treatment, I feel like a princess and my body feels very light, very relaxed!

SUNSET ROMANCE

For more relaxation, my husband and I head to Cumulus, the beach bar set against the magnificent backdrop of the Straits of Melaka just before sunset. We order a mocktail each and sit at the lounge looking over the horizon waiting for the orange hues.

There is also an Infinity Pool facing the beach near the bar.

After finishing our sunset mocktails, we walk to the Glass, an Italian restaurant, where our outdoor romantic candlelight dinner awaits. The staff did a good job decorating our table overlooking the pool and while waiting for the food, we get to see the sky changing its colours.

We kick off our dinner with Caesar’s salad. For mains, my husband orders lamb rack while I have a delicious creamy lasagna. We also order a large cheesy pizza to take away to our room!

CHINOISE PLEASURE

We also try the Chinoise restaurant which offers sumptuous traditional Cantonese and Szechuan favourites fit for an emperor!

The Chinoise restaurant offers the Family Set Menu at an affordable price but we order from the a la carte menu as there are only two of us.

We order steamed minced ginger sea bass, wok-fried prawns with butter and oatmeal, fried beef with black pepper and stir-fried beansprout with salted fish. Quite typical dishes but the chef wins over our heart and tummy.

The food is generous in terms of portion. I absolutely love the spicy sea bass dish which has thick ginger sauce.

ALL-DAY FRESH DELIGHT

As for breakfast, the Fresh restaurant offers buffet options. It showcases an array of international and local delicacies that will leave you spoilt for choice.

Choose the typical American breakfast or local food such as nasi lemak, fried noodles, roti canai and even steamed ubi kayu! Fresh also offers an expansive choice of buffet for lunch and dinner, and you can also opt for the a la carte menu.nhanna@nst.com.my

Food options are plenty. For international and local buffet options head to Fresh. If you want something Italian, there is Glass restaurant. There is also the Chinoise offering Chinese cuisine. To hang out for a drink and light snacks, the resort has two bars - Cumulus and Steps.

GO

Enjoy watersports at the beach.

HIGHS

Great view.

LOWS

I really have nothing to complain about. It’s a nice resort.

BOOKING YOUR STAY

It’s easy with the AirAsiaGo Mobile App. You are just a click away to your next staycation in this chic and stylish hotel.

To enjoy more discounts, look out for the 10 per cent Mid-Month Madness promo code on AirAsiaGo’s Facebook, on top of its daily mobile exclusive deals that can go up to 75 per cent.